House Community Budget Issue Requests - Tracking Id #1431 PACE Program Expansion and State Office Program Services
Requester:	Natalie Schaible		Organization:		PACE Center for Girls
Project Title:	PACE Program Expansion and State Office Program Services		Date Submitted:		01/26/2000 2:55:56 PM
District Member:	Bill Sublette		Service Area:		Regional
Counties Affected:	Alachua, Collier, Dade, Duval, Escambia, Hillsborough, Orange, Pasco, Santa Rosa
Recipient:	PACE Center for Girls, Inc.		Contact:		LaWanda Ravoira
	112 West Adams Street, Suite 500		Contact Phone:		(904) 358-0555 109
	Jacksonville 32202
Project Description:
PACE Center for Girls, Inc. is seeking $972,000 to increase by 90 the slots in their year round, non-residential prevention programs, which offer education, counseling and gender specific services to troubled girls who are identified as dependent, status offenders, delinquent or high risk for substance abuse, pregnancy, suicide or dropping out of school and $160,000 to continue State Office support services to PACE centers statewide offering technical supervision, business support and to provide for the successful DJJ requested expansion of PACE programs to Districts 13 and 14. With this request for additional slots to be used statewide, PACE Center for Girls, Inc. shall further prevent or reduce the number of juvenile delinquent referrals, status offenses, school dropouts, foster care referrals, and teen pregnancies by empowering each girl with the necessary skills and knowledge to become independent, self reliant and productive citizens. In addition PACE provides a critical step down placement for girls exiting residential DJJ programs who need assistance reentering the public domain. The target population for these increased slots shall be young girls 12 to 18 who reside in Alachua, Collier, Escambia, Hillsborough, Duval, Orange, Pasco, Miami-Dade, or Santa Rosa counties of Florida.
Services Provided/Benefit to State:
PACE offers a continuum of services that are specifically designed to meet the unique needs of at-risk girls. Its purpose is to intervene and prevent high school drop-outs, juvenile delinquency, teen pregnancy, drug and alcohol addiction, and welfare dependency. PACE Center for Girls, Inc., at a minimum, shall operate on the same days as the county(s) school board operates school, with a minimum of 240 days of service and shall be defined as the center being open and staff available to provide services to youth. The program shall be open a minimum of eight (8) hours per day. To achieve this end, PACE provides the following services: Education: Education is the foundation of the PACE program and provides these young women with the skills to enhance self-esteem and will offer them a future beyond their current environmental challenges. PACE is a middle and high school program that includes remedial, middle and high school credit, or GED option, or GED. The staff:student ratio is 1:10. While enrolled in the program each girl must work toward obtaining her high school diploma. Even after transition, PACE encourages the girls to continue their education by offering assistance in financial planning and vocational or college enrollment. Life Management: The PACE curriculum, known as SMARTGIRLS! (Students Making a Right Turn), is a gender-sensitive program designed specifically for the needs of girls. It consists of five modules on positive lifestyle choices: 1. SMARTTALK, which assists the girls in learning the importance of using correct language in varying situations. 2. ICE (Inclusive Cultural Education) which shall focus on the appreciation of cultural differences 3. NINE TO FIVE ON FLEX-TIME, which shall emphasize career awareness and the necessary steps to employment security. 4. SOS (Save Our Sisters), a module which shall encompass healthy lifestyle choices in regard to sexuality,fitness, nutrition, drugs, etc. 5. SAFETYSMART, a violence prevention component, which helps students identify the cycle of violence and learn how to live a non-violent life. Placement in SMARTGIRLS! shall be based on the individual needs of the youth as indicated in the individual treatment plan. Case Management & Counseling: PACE treatment plans are specifically tailored to each student and her needs. Individual, group, and family counseling sessions are conducted regularly. Often the success of each girl is dependent upon the involvement of her family. Although we strive to improve the commitment of the family to their students, it is not always possible. Some of the girls are living in out of the home placements or live with families that are very dysfunctional. Each student is assigned a primary advisor who is on call 24 hours a day in the event of an emergency. Close communication and availability of staff to students are key in defusing many teenage crisis situations. Community Service: PACE provides the opportunity for each girl to participate in at least two different community service projects while enrolled in the program. The projects were initially a way to repay the community for its support. However, they proved to be much more important. Community service projects allow the girls a unique opportunity to see themselves as needed individuals who are able to contribute positively to their community, promoting their self esteem. Additionally, they are exposed to people who are less fortunate than themselves, which causes them to spend less time dwelling on their own problems. Examples of community projects include serving lunch to the elderly, working with disabled and abused children, helping with abandoned animals, and working in homeless shelters. Transition Services: PACE has developed a transition placement evaluation component for all students regardless of whether they have successfully transferred from the daily program. Services are designed to assist the girls in continuing their education and employment placements. The program is based upon the individual?s needs; thus, length of stay may vary. Girls are eligible for planned transition after they have successfully completed their individual treatment plans. State Office Support Services: Services provided include curriculum development, quality assurance monitoring, continuous improvement initiatives, program enhancement, all accounting and payroll processing, risk management, database management/outcome measure evaluation and new center expansion and development for all PACE centers statewide. Benefits to the State PACE Reduces Juvenile Crime 1. 98% of girls at risk for criminal activity have not committed crimes after leaving PACE (Evaluation Report for the PACE Center For Girls, Inc. on the Program Operations ? January 1998/June 1999, Rokicki and Associates ,September, 1999) 2. 98% of girls who committed crimes prior to enrollment did not reoffend one year after leaving PACE (Evaluation Report for the PACE Center For Girls, Inc. on the Program Operations ? January 1998/June 1999, Rokicki and Associates ,September, 1999) 3. Over 1,860 teenage girls did not enter or reenter the juvenile justice system due to their involvement with PACE in the past 18 months. (Based on 1900 girls served in our day programs from January 1,1998 ? June 30, 1999 and applying the above percentages) Saves More Money: The new slots will increase the $6.75 million Florida saved last fiscal year by providing a prevention program that works and keeps girls out of the Juvenile Justice system. (Based on number of girls without subsequent adjudicated delinquency referrals reported in 1999 Prevention Outcome Evaluation report, Juvenile Justice Accountability Board: Average Cost per girl in the PACE program - $11,622, 1999 Prevention Outcome Evaluation Report, Juvenile Justice Accountability Board; Average cost to house and treat a single juvenile in a facility for high-risk offenders - $27,375, The Value of Prevention, Florida Department of Juvenile Justice Web Page)
Measurable Outcome Anticipated:
PACE Center for Girls? treatment programs shall ensure that youth are provided the benefit of services and interventions which produce functional outcomes so that youth can be successfully reintegrated into the community. Goal 1: Improve school success, youth employment, and self-sufficiency. Outcome Measures 1. A minimum of 65 percent of youth shall remain enrolled, earn a high school diploma (or GED), or mainstream back to public school, an appropriate educational setting, or be gainfully employed or placed in an appropriate placement based on the individual treatment plan. 2. A minimum of 65 percent of youth shall maintain an attendance rate of 80 percent (including excused absences) over the period of enrollment. 3. A minimum of 75 percent of all youth who participate shall increase their academic functioning (grade level, GPA, or other academic progress) while enrolled. Goal 2: Reduce additional and/or prevent program participants? involvement in disciplinary problems in school, criminal activity, and the Juvenile Justice System by reducing or eliminating high risk behavior. Outcome Measures 1. A minimum of 70 percent of all youth who have previously committed crimes shall not be adjudicated or have adjudication withheld while enrolled in the program. 2. A minimum of 75 percent of all youth who have a planned transition shall not be adjudicated or have adjudication withheld within one year following the transition. 3. A minimum of 80 percent of all youth who have not committed a crime prior to enrollment shall not be adjudicated or have adjudication withheld within six months following transition.
Amount requested from the State for this project this year:				$1,132,000
Total cost of the project:		$1,132,000

Request has been made to fund:			Operations
Is there Local Government or Private match for this request?						Yes
	Cash Amount:	$300,000
Was this project previously funded by the State?						Yes
	Fiscal Year:	1999-2000		Amount:		$160,000
Is future-year funding likely to be requested?						Yes
	Amount:	$1,132,000
	Purpose for future year funding:				Recurring Operations
	Will this be an annual request?					Yes
Was this project included in an Agency's Budget Request?						No
Was this project included in the Governor's Recommended Budget?						No
Is there a documented need for this project?						Yes
	Documentation:	OJJDP's Comprehensive Community Strategy recommending a focus on preventing female juvenile crime.
Was this project request heard before a publicly noticed meeting of a body of elected officials (municipal, county, or state)?						Yes
	Hearing Body:	Local Legislative Delegations/Juvenile Justice Councils
	Meeting Date:	12/01/1999